Selasa, 30 September 2014

Chinese supermodel Liu Wen is as known for being a groundbreaker as she is for stunning looks. in 2013, she became the first Asian model to make the top five in Forbes' annual list of highest-paid supermodels. This year she earned $7 million, according to Forbes.

Paris (CNN) -- There's more to being a model than just looking pretty, according to Liu Wen. And she should know.

Liu is one of the world's highest-paid models and the first Chinese face to crack the top five in Forbes' annual list of top earners.

She says that far from being a week long party, Paris Fashion Week is an arduous mix of shoots, shows and limited sleep.

Models, even well-known ones like Liu, turn up at fashion week with no shows booked and are often slotted in just 24 hours before the shows are scheduled to start.

In the meantime, they just have to sit it out and wait for a designer to call, although when you are as big as Wen, you know the phone will ring.

Next come fittings, and although models like Liu look exquisite in whatever they wear, not every collection will suit her body shape or complexion.

That means, that even after a fitting, Lui still won't know if she'll walk the show.

The 26-year-old admits it can be a whirl: 'When I am in Paris, I have no idea what my schedule (is) ... everything is always last minute. You don't know exactly what you are doing. You only know you have to wake up, the driver take you, you go in the back seat, you have make-up, hair, and then walk in the show and then the driver take you and you go and walk in another show.

'Sometimes you know, we have a crazy schedule. One time, I did 27 shows in London, and 22 or 23 shows in Paris. I don't know how I did it!'

Looking fresh in the midst of a tough schedule requires insider knowledge. Here Liu shares with CNN the survival secrets that get her through fashion week.

Always be prepared

'During Fashion Week, you always know about your schedule at the last minute,'says Liu, who walked a record 74 shows during the Fall/Winter 2009 season. This means models must always be ready to dash out to a fitting, casting or catwalk at the drop of a hat.

Get plenty of beauty sleep -- when you canChina's groundbreaking supermodel

Between early call-times and late-night runway shows, Wen can be up and about from 5am to midnight. But it's still important for her to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. 'I think (sleep) is really good for skin,' she says. 'When you sleep very well and eat healthy, you look well and very beautiful.'

Stay hydratedBrazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen is the top-earning model of 2014, according to Forbes, with a whopping $47 million. Endorsement deals with companies such as Pantene and business ventures like a lingerie line helped her secure the top spot.Photos: Highest-paid models of 2014

'For Fashion Week, the girls are always running around backstage from a show to another show,' Liu says. 'I always have one bottle of water because sometimes you are very thirsty.' It's also not rare for stylists to use bottled water to rinse wash a model's hair when there are no sinks available.

Find your relaxation technique and stick to it

For Wen, this means bringing her own music to listen to backstage, as well as a good book. And to unwind physically? 'I bring a very cute massage ball. Sometimes in the evening I do a little bit massage to make my body more relaxed.'

Show off your personal style

Wen may have made her fortune showing off others' designs, but she feels that showing off her own style is also important. 'I think the personal style for model is very important because I think it can show that all the girls have very different personalities,' Liu says. 'When you have your own style you just represent yourself.'

Make time for your friends

'Most of the time we live in different countries or different cities,' Liu says. 'We don't have that much time to hang out, and only (during) fashion week we can see each other a lot backstage. That's why I love to take a picture, and then sometimes just have fun!'

Don't forget your map (or at least Google Maps)

'After six years doing shows I still don't know Paris very well!'

Enjoy yourself

In spite of the stress of the shows, Wen is appreciative of the chance to be working in the City of Lights at all. 'I do love Paris Fashion Week because Paris is a very beautiful city,' she says. 'When I was young, I dreamed (of coming) to Paris.'

The pampered life of Karl Lagerfeld's pet catFront-row politics, no-show models: What really goes on backstage at a fashion showParis Fashion Week -- in photos

What did it take for Chanel to get their own street? Well, if you pump vast amounts of cash into building a set that's a photographic facsimile of a Parisian rue, you can call it whatever you damn well want. So, the models at Karl Lagerfeld's spring/summer 2015 Chanel show sauntered in groups down the centre of 'Boulevard Chanel,' easily chatting amongst themselves. A few carried boomboxes packed into chic Chanel handbags, the tinny sound reverberating until the thumping main soundtrack took over. 'I'm every woman,' warbled Whitney Houston, at one point, 'It's all in me.'

She could have been singing about the collection because, in typical Lagerfeld style, it was all in there. Wide trousers, tunics, print, plain, military, pinstripes, sweaters, Gisele in a striped cardigan and something suspiciously close to a pair of Chanel Uggs. All present and correct, on flat shoes, women striding meaningfully off to work. Which, in the fashion world, means the end of the (catwalk) road and back. There were also, obviously, plenty of bags, printed with faux-politicised slogans like 'Féministe mais Feminine,' or 'Votez Coco.'

There's been an undercurrent of women dressing women this week in Paris - Lagerfeld isn't a woman, obviously. But he does operate under the mantle of Coco Chanel, who tied her fashion to the feminist cause, even if she didn't realise it. Clothes, she stated, must be logical. A button should have a buttonhole, and should work. Pockets should be real. Chanel glorified function over form, or at least the ideal twinning together of the two. Her clothes addressed her own reality, the demands of the clothes she wanted to wear, which found resonance in women in the wider world. It was as simple as the chain handle on her 2.55 handbag, leaving the hands free to get on with something else, or the fact said bag was originally lined in burgundy, to make it easier to find your stuff inside.

Chanel's bag was a form of protest against the impracticality of everyday fashion in the mid fifties - she loathed the corsets and petticoats of the New Look, for instance, and following her 1954 comeback railed against it everyday she could. Likewise, Lagerfeld's faux-sloganeering on his pouches and pochettes were portents of protest to come. After the show finished, models returned to the stage (or rather, the street) brandishing placards daubed with pronouncements like 'Make fashion not war' (fair enough), or 'Tweed is better than tweet' (a bit of pointless punnery). Their clarion call, via megaphone? 'What do we want? Tweed!' Okay.

A few of the models had the good grace to look embarrassed; most seemed to think it was a bit of a laugh. Which also summarised the audience's reaction. Maybe Lagerfeld was cynically poking fun at the whole idea of fashion commenting on culture at large, intentionally reducing its protests to facile fashion commandments rather than an attempt at genuine change. But the co-opting of protest polemic as a tool instigating you to buy, as opposed to question why, struck a bum note. Was tweed all we should read into this collection? Should a fashion show just make you want to go out and charge something, rather than change something?

That's not a judgement on the clothes, which were fine. They were playful, colourful, vibrant. The clusters of models walking together had a bounce and an energy, as well as a reflection of the everyday world. There was something compelling about our odd transportation into a unreal 'everyday' Paris street - which ended up feeling more like a scene from Paris When It Sizzles, a choreographed and entirely false occurrence for the benefit of a few thousand onlookers, than a real slice of Paris life.

Perhaps Chanel's riot was inspired those real-life scenes last season, when the fashion press tore apart the Supermarket the label erected in the middle of the Grand Palais - the whole thing was cordoned off with riot barriers this time, just in case. But why riot if you've got nothing to say? Chanel wasn't making a political statement, they were just attracting attention by making a great deal of noise and fuss. It was the artifice of anarchy. A joke, sure, but not an especially funny one. And it overshadowed the real message of the clothes on show, which in their diversity and lack of fashion diktat, did have something of a feminist, Chanel-for-all message running through them, like the flecks of bright colour through those tweeds.

Looking through the ranks of the audience, and seeing the Chanel jacket crop up again and again, from front-row couture client to standing fashion students, you were arrested by the continuing universality of that style Coco Chanel herself originated. It's a great jacket, but it's not worth rioting over. Haven't we all - fashion designers included - got something more interesting to say than that?

Elle (blog)Trend Alert: Colored SuedeElle (blog)It won't be easy to care for, but when you have a Gucci dolman-sleeved wrap top, the future is of little consequence. Here's some inspiration straight from the runways to get you suede in the right direction for next spring. By Danielle Prescod ...

The Chanel show is always our favourite spot on the fashion month schedule. So what will Karl Lagerfeld have up his leather glove this season? We have a feeling Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and Miranda Kerr will walk today as they are all in Paris. As ever we're hoping for an appearance from our favourite girl: Choupette. In February he took us inside the fully stocked chanel supermarket and created fashion hysteria with editors scrabbling over Cambon Jambon. Expect to see plenty of Chanel sweetie necklaces and shopping basket bags on the front row this morning. Team Grazia 360 is there as usual so you can see all the action as it happens. See all of the Chanelegance in the gallery above...

Fashion Week 360 is here! Over the next month, our editors will be pulling back the curtain on fashion weeks around the world. We've teamed up with the likes of (deep breath) Chanel, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg and Alexander Wang to give you an access-all-areas pass to the shows. We're talking insider diaries, catwalk reports and beauty trends direct from backstage, as well exclusive video interviews with designers and FROWers alike. And there's more: for the first time ever, we'll be wearing Google Glass (our favourite new accessory) so you truly can see everything through the Editor's Eye. So grab your best FROW-worthy shoes and do join us...

This time, the notorious red carpet crasher jumped Ciara shortly before she entered the Valentino show earlier today.

The singer and new mother was posing for photographers when an overzealous Sediuk rushed the crowd and immediately stripped down to a thong and gold sequin top.

Ciara, understandably and visibly confused by the run-in, did her best to mitigate the situation when Sediuk approached her and hugged her.

This marks the third time that he's bum-rushed celebrities at the semiannual fashion event in the City of Light.

WATCH: Vitalii Sediuk grabs onto Kim Kardashian

Jacopo Raule/GC Images

Late last week, he attacked Kim Kardashian as she was trying to make her way into Balmain's Paris Fashion Week show.

The 33-year-old was swarmed with a crowd of fans and photographers when she expected her car, when Sediuk unexpectedly dove for her legs.

In a video captured by paparazzi, Kris Jenner is shown exiting the vehicle and screaming, 'Stop it,' as soon as she realized what was happening to her daughter.

Shortly after the scary ordeal, Sediuk released the following statement to E! News:

PHOTOS: Street style at Paris Fashion Week

'The prank with Kim was my protest that US banned me from entering the country. I hope Kim is ok and won't be mad at me as I didn't mean any harm. Kanye is one lucky man as Kim is a Goddess!'

Then just days later, E! News learned that he attempted to get close to 's wife once again during a chance encounter at Hotel Costes in Paris.

We're told that Sediuk wasn't successful in approaching the E! reality star that time, however, as her security team spotted him at the restaurant and made sure that he kept his distance as she left the venue.

PARIS - On Tuesday, the Apple Watch finally made it to Paris. Be still, fashion's rapidly beating heart.

At a special, 24-hour-only preview event, it took pride of place in the windows of the concept store Colette on Rue St.-Honoré. You couldn't buy (the watches won't be available until next year, kind of like the clothes on the runway) but you could touch. The style set stopped in on their way to Chanel. Even Karl Lagerfeld made a pre-show appearance. Everyone was, literally, a twitter.

But wait. Hold up a second. Didn't we already have an Apple Watch moment, way back when the ready-to-wear shows all began? Didn't some editors, in fact, miss shows in New York to go to Cupertino to see it for themselves?

Indeed. But for the rest of them, if the mountain couldn't go to Muhammad. ...

Besides, this an industry obsessed with, and predicated on, the new. And even three weeks after its introduction, the Apple Watch apparently still qualifies. Unlike some of the stuff on the runways. Perhaps because of some of the stuff on the runways.

Like, for example, Saint Laurent. A slam-bam, fast and furious, hard rock tour of the designer Hedi Slimane's three favorite silhouettes - the A-line baby doll minidress; the slick trouser suit; and the thigh-high miniskirt or shorts with jacket - in more combinations than Joseph's coat of many colors. From jewel-encrusted to alligator, leather, cherry print, leopard print, marabou and gold lamé (to name just a few), the show reiterated what seems to be Mr. Slimane's particular modus operandi: the exploration and re-evaluation of found imagery. Which in fashion terms is a fancy way of saying vintage.

Last season Mr. Slimane name-checked John Baldessari, the artist known for his use of appropriated forms, whose work the designer used in his show's invitation booklet. This season it was Robert Heinecken, a self-titled 'para-photographer,' who often used shots taken by others. There is a pattern here.

It's a great high-culture justification (ideological appropriation?) for what often seems like a trip down to the memory lane thrift stores of Venice Beach, albeit done in a perfectly finished, luxury fabrication kind of way.

There is nothing wrong with finding your groove, or, in Mr. Slimane's case, chest-crushing bass reverb (goodness knows, we all spend enough time complaining about whiplash from too much change for change's sake). And there's likewise no question that, reduced to its constituent parts, the collection was full of pieces that will appeal to a variety of customers: bright red bandleader jackets to one age group; crystal mini-dresses to another; those slick trouser suits to a third.

But there's also virtue in edging things along, just a little. Women's lives don't stand still; why should their wardrobes?

It was a question raised at Chanel - explicitly at the finale, when the models appeared en masse in a quasi-fashion protest, bearing signs crying 'Free fashion' and 'Votez pour vous,' or 'Vote for you,' and implicitly during the collection itself.

In the Grand Palais, Mr. Lagerfeld recreated an entire Parisian boulevard, down to the potholes, and then sent an army of 85 women strolling on the street where they (supposedly) lived. On they came in rainbow-woven bouclé suits; washed watercolor flowers; pinstriped shorts with billowing white cotton blouses caught by a gold leather belt; LWDs (little white dresses) blossoming with 3-D blooms; and a series of black-and-white geometric cocktail shifts.

Some of it was great - narrow pants under swishy hip-yoked pleated skirts under cropped jackets, a pair of silver mosaic column dresses that had a powerful, elegant gleam - and some a bit awkward (a dress macraméd from thin strips of silk that flattened out like a rectangular placard, or potholder, from the front; waxed wide gangsta pinstripes) but either way, at least Mr. Lagerfeld was clearly trying to rethink and rework the familiar. Even beyond ye olde house codes.

As were Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli in their superb Valentino show. Inspired by the Grand Tour, but freed by modern forms and the lightest of fabrications, it ranged from utterly simple navy blue princess coats and A-line apron linen minidresses to tiered multiprint gypsy peasant frocks, white broderie anglaise cottons and denim culottes, and eye-poppingly worked pieces embroidered with millions of tiny feathers that formed their own tactile universe.

Gowns came silver-beaded and layered print over print, or hand-painted with oceanic treasures: starfish and coral and seahorses.

It was a fairy tale fit for the modern day, told in the shape of reality - not unlike the story at Sonia Rykiel, where the advent of the new designer Julie de Libran at the once-beloved but recently sidelined house generated the kind of anticipation normally reserved for, say, Narendra Modi's first state visit to the United States, or baby Kardashians.

'It's a happy maison, it should make you smile,' Ms. de Libran said backstage before her debut, held in the brand's first Paris flagship, complete with black-jacketed waiters from the nearby Café de Flore standing on the white carpet amid mirrored walls, holding silver trays of Champagne and finger sandwiches. (Ms. Rykiel went to the Flore so often a sandwich, Le Club Rykiel, was named in her honor.)

Translated, this meant: Stripes! Stripes woven into loose white tweed dresses and knit into long mink vests; stripes embedded via grommets into leather skirts; and crafted in sequins on shifts. And it meant jumpsuits and overalls of all types, in denim, khaki and jacquard, plus evening versions in silk, tiered in ruffles.

Why all the jumpsuits?

'I wanted to show that women have legs,' Ms. de Libran said, which sounds a bit ridiculous (we are bipeds; of course we have legs) until you consider that generally in the fashion context such limbs are presented more as decorative objects than agents of motion. Even though the clothes read quietly '70s in aspect, it was a radical idea.

Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Chanel Spring/Summer 2015 catwalk scene into a feminist rights movement on the 'Boulevard Chanel' at the Grand Palais during Paris Fashion Week.

Think model street protestors, huge placards that read 'History is her story' and 'Make fashion not war', tailored tweed two-piece suits and Cara Delevingne rallying up the demonstration with a megaphone.

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, Joan Smalls, Sam Rollinson, Malaika Firth and Kendall Jenner were just a few of the women who stormed the runway in statement-making fashion.

It was bold, bright and bolshy because next season is about making a stand for style and EVERYTHING you believe in.

Wear a tweed suit (it will never date and you'll wear it a thousand times), a stripe jumper dress blinged-up with a Chanel brooch a la Gisele, khaki green suede - carrying a briefcase holding all your essentials and blurred floral effect knee high boots.

We loved the mosaic cocktail dresses and the button down boucle jackets, the models walking two-by-two thing, the real puddles on the street - the entire demonstration. Chanel just set the agenda for next spring.

Take a flick through this gallery to see the whole spectacle. Here's how to 'Be your own stylist'...

Don't miss the latest shows and trends from the S/S 15 shows at Paris Fashion Week right here.

If Jean Paul Gaultier's 'beauty pageant' was the most extravagant show at Paris Fashion Week, Karl Lagerfeld's protest is certainly the most relevant. Leave it to Chanel to turn the runway into a star-studded demonstration, complete with a faux Parisian boulevard, a quilted mega phone and of course, Cara Delevingne as the ringleader. Models held signs that said, 'Make fashion not war,' 'He for she,' (which is a nod to Emma Watson's now famous UN speech) and 'History is her story.' Lagerfeld has yet again proven that he is the master of the fashion show, this time blending two of our favorite things -- fashion and feminism. But let's not forget about the 'protesters.' Chanel is no stranger to featuring major models, but this army is more impressive than ever. Everyone from Fashion Week sweetheart Kendall Jenner to Georgia May Jagger to Gisele Bundchen made appearances. Now, we're not saying this is the most effective form of protest, but it is certainly the most stylish. Head to Style.com to see the entire Spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection.

Kansas City Fashion Week showcased nearly 20 local and regional designers during its fall runway shows.

In addition to local designers, six Project Runway designers showcased their new collections and included Althea Harper, Laura Kathleen, Joshua McKinley, Anthony Ryan Auld, Carlos Casanova and Michael Drummond. On Saturday, the Project Runway designers held a trunk show at Union Station and showcased their collections on the runway.

'For the designer, fashion shows are so awesome,' Harper said. 'There's a million great things that can come from them.'

Not only do runway shows give designers a chance to showcase their designs on models, it also garners additional exposure, whether it's from the media or from buyers, she said.

The Kansas City Business Journal attended the Saturday trunk show and afternoon runway show, which included local and regional designers Wendy McMillian, Amy Collier, Lauren Bander, Ola Hawatmeh, Rachel Gottlieb, Elda Doamekpo and Elodie Auvray.

Paris Fashion Week - heck, the whole of fashion month - is drawing to a close. It's the penultimate day of shows here, and now that the Air France strike is over, there is even a decent chance that we'll be able to get home (normal service is expected to resume today). Three exhausted, slightly bedraggled cheers!

It's worth rallying for the Tuesday shows: The great powers are out in force. Chanel starts the day at 10:30 at its usual venue, the Grand Palais. But time and place are the only usual things about it. Karl Lagerfeld is famous for staging epic productions, complete with their own opera-size, bogglingly detailed sets. There have been Nordic icebergs; looming globes; a Chanel gallery with a full exhibition's worth of large-scale, double-C art and sculpture; and, last season, the famous supermarket that looked likely to crash Instagram with its innumerable photo ops. What next? Only Mr. Lagerfeld knows.

The afternoon brings Valentino to the tent (sorry, Espace Éphémère) in the Tuileries. Will Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri continue the dotty, Mod theme they introduced last season?

Mod is not the word for Iris Van Herpen, the young Dutch designer, who is more in the spotlight since she was awarded this year's Andam Prize. Her work is as eerie as Valentino's is sweet: The show last season featured models suspended in plastic above the runway, air pumping into their cocoons through tubes. The effect was chilling - though a model descended from the plastic after the show assured a concerned reporter that she felt fine. At least, thought the reporter, the model didn't have to negotiate the runway in yet another pair of impossible shoes.

An appetite for the outré unites Ms. Van Herpen and Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, the day's last big show. Under Mr. McQueen, the label staged some of the most memorable shows in contemporary fashion, and Ms. Burton, its current steward and creative director, has carried on the torch. She lights it again at 7:30 p.m.

Follow our Fashion Week coverage on Twitter at @nytfashion.

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Senin, 29 September 2014

PARIS - Ever since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq let slip during his United Nations visit last week that his government had uncovered information about an ISIS plan to attack the subways in New York and Paris, there has been a niggling sense of unease hanging over the final fashion city of the season.

'You aren't too worried about taking the Métro?' said one showgoer to another when the subject of how to get to Givenchy came up on Sunday. (Though Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York had come forward to reassure his city, in Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo had done no such thing.)

It wasn't helped by the news of protests in Hong Kong, an erstwhile (maybe not so much anymore?) high-fashion retailing Valhalla. Still, by Monday and the last three days of the season, at least the Air France pilots had stopped striking.

You take the positive where you can find it, and watch your back. It may be one of the lessons of the season.

Certainly it pretty much defines the approach of Chitose Abe at Sacai, who has made a career out of slicing and dicing garments into push-me, pull-you combinations.

This season that meant army green military uniforms collaged with navy guipure lace, khaki skirts sprouting sheer chiffon inserts, and floral cotton drill laser cut into broderie anglaise. What you think you are getting is never quite what you see, but while the result is undeniably inventive, it is starting to feel overly complicated; seamstressy wizardry for its own sake.

It's the opposite of Stella McCartney, a brand founded on the principle that you should never look like you are trying too hard (an idea that, of course, takes quite a lot of work to realize). Witness this season's washed-silk pastel jumpsuits and matching trench coats and anoraks, the plaid pajama suiting for day, and the ribbed knits cut to flash a half-moon of skin here, a bit of waist there. Belt buckles held up tunic straps and closed deep V-necks, and a series of print flou dresses swirled around the legs like water.

It was all so relaxed, it was hard to remember what was worth getting worked up about in the first place. If clothes served the same purpose as a smile (you know: Do it when you feel bad and it will convince your body it feels better), these would be a stress antidote extraordinaire.

For those who needed reminding of life's unforeseen complications, however, there was Chloé, where the designer Clare Waight Keller found herself in the unenviable position of having to hold her show the day after the death of the house's founder, Gaby Aghion.

'I was interested in fabrics with history, almost a folklore,' she said backstage before the show, and the airy volumes paid homage to Ms. Aghion's initial imperative to create a freer, more fluid femininity. A faded denim poncho sweatshirt paired with matching sweatpants was less successful - weightier and kind of kitschy (Juicy Chloé?) - but over all, by turning her face toward the light(weight) and literally ring-fencing her ideas, Ms. Waight Keller told her own story.

The 'quest for light' (the designer's words, handwritten with the run of the show) was also the subject at Akris, as Albert Kriemler found his grail in Kazimir Malevich's geometries via white tennis leathers and voiles layered with irregular, almost invisible tone-on-tone rectangular appliqués. Black gowns in transparent tulle georgette sported strategically placed matte panels, and suits and T-shirts and dresses entirely woven into an open mesh proved an ode, yet again, to the square.

Not that it was all sweetness and more light: Across every print (or, to be fair, many prints) a black raindrop did fall.

It was at Givenchy, however, where things really took a tougher turn. The designer Riccardo Tisci seemed to be channeling gothic Tyrolean maids in homespun armor and new romantic pirates (or something like that) via studs and stripes, not to mention leather, lace, grommets and corsetry, all in black and white, with a shell pink thrown in here and there for good measure.

Some of it was cool, especially the squared-off collarless white tailcoats edged in black and laced along every edge, and some of it was over-the-top (crosses over the hearts on printed sheer T-shirts layered to create a double-vision effect, which will probably end up a best seller nonetheless). Some of it was very Givenchy (the little black dresses, the flounced white-lace poet shirts and shirt-dresses) and some of it pretty derivative: Alaïa by way of Balmain, filtered through another lens.

We live in an era of found inspiration, and such borrowings are commonplace on many a runway, so in some ways it is just par for the course. But just like the show's alluring, in-your-face sexuality and self-sufficient energy, it was also impossible to ignore.

In the Instagram world, however, where memories are short, these connections matter less and less (we can debate that on its merits another time). Instead, here's what does: the blood-quickening impression that if you mess with these girls, they might stomp you on the foot with their nail-heeled over-the-knee boot.

Put another way: They wouldn't just shrug off the heavy and take the Métro. They'd leap the turnstile. Yow.

ABC Family scares up some fun frights with the all new Halloween specials, 'Freak Out,' airing Tuesday, October 21st and Wednesday, October 22nd at 9pm ET/PT. The two one-hour specials, from SallyAnn Salsano's 495 Productions, will air during the network's beloved programming event, '13 Nights of Halloween.'

Each episode of 'Freak Out' will feature an unsuspecting mark, whose worst fears come to life before their eyes through elaborate special effects, intricate makeup, twisted actors and multiple cameras capturing the scenario from every angle. Every frighteningly hilarious prank is tailored with the help from the victim's friends and family, to turn an everyday situation into someone's nightmare. Viewers will find themselves 'sclaughing' (screaming and laughing) over the mark's reaction, until the victim realizes - they've been pranked.

Some of the pranks included on Night #1 (Tuesday, October 21st): A girl loses more than her mind when her hair stars falling out at a salon. Later, a party guest gets the shock of her life as the pool party goes horribly wrong. Plus, a guy gets the creeps over a woman with a swollen stomach full of live cockroaches and a dinner party gets stalked by a crazed killer.

Night #2 (Wednesday, October 22nd) will feature such frights as: A girl drops by to visit a sick patient-only to realize the woman is possessed. Also, Jonathan Sadowski (ABF Family's 'Young & Hungry') helps pull off a prank at a restaurant, where a fired waiter comes back to exact supernatural revenge. Plus, a pregnant nail technician's 'baby' tries to claw its way out of her stomach.

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships - told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. For 2014, ABC Family has launched the 'WATCH ABC Family' authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular series at home and on the go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with '13 Nights of Halloween' and '25 Days of Christmas.' ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

YOU'LL SHRIEK WITH LAUGHTER AS ABC FAMILY PRESENTS TWO NIGHTS OF'FREAK OUT,' TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21 AND WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22 AT 9PM ET/PT FUNNY, SCARY HIDDEN-CAMERA PRANK SHOW AIRS AS PART OF ABC FAMILY'S '13 NIGHTS OF HALLOWEEN' JONATHAN SADOWSKI ('YOUNG & HUNGRY') DROPS BY TO ASSIST IN A PRANK

Burbank, CA - September 24, 2014 - ABC Family scares up some fun frights with the all new Halloween specials, 'Freak Out,' airing Tuesday, October 21st and Wednesday, October 22nd at 9pm ET/PT. The two one-hour specials, from SallyAnn Salsano's 495 Productions, will air during the network's beloved programming event, '13 Nights of Halloween.'

Each episode of 'Freak Out' will feature an unsuspecting mark, whose worst fears come to life before their eyes through elaborate special effects, intricate makeup, twisted actors and multiple cameras capturing the scenario from every angle. Every frighteningly hilarious prank is tailored with the help from the victim's friends and family, to turn an everyday situation into someone's nightmare. Viewers will find themselves 'sclaughing' (screaming and laughing) over the mark's reaction, until the victim realizes - they've been pranked.

Some of the pranks included on Night #1 (Tuesday, October 21st): A girl loses more than her mind when her hair stars falling out at a salon. Later, a party guest gets the shock of her life as the pool party goes horribly wrong. Plus, a guy gets the creeps over a woman with a swollen stomach full of live cockroaches and a dinner party gets stalked by a crazed killer.

Night #2 (Wednesday, October 22nd) will feature such frights as: A girl drops by to visit a sick patient-only to realize the woman is possessed. Also, Jonathan Sadowski (ABF Family's 'Young & Hungry') helps pull off a prank at a restaurant, where a fired waiter comes back to exact Supernatural revenge. Plus, a pregnant nail technician's 'baby' tries to claw its way out of her stomach.

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships - told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. For 2014, ABC Family has launched the 'WATCH ABC Family' authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular series at home and on the go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with '13 Nights of Halloween' and '25 Days of Christmas.' ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

Legislation proposed by several Westchester County lawmakers would strengthen protections against sales of dogs from 'puppy mills' and set standards for care and feeding of cats and dogs for sale.

New Rochelle pet lover and animal activist Dianne Heim said she was surprised to learn that when she complained about a pet store she suspected sold puppy mill dogs that city officials had no authority to intervene.

That changed early this year, when Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation giving municipalities the authority to adopt stricter laws on breeders and sellers of cats and dogs. Albany, Nassau and Suffolk counties have adopted local laws and Rockland lawmakers recently held a public hearing on their version. Westchester Legislator James Maisano, R-New Rochelle, recently proposed legislation for the county.

If Westchester approves a law, 'it will stop these businesses from obtaining dogs from puppy mills,' said Heim, a New Rochelle Humane Society board member. 'So if they (the county) can prove that they are getting dogs from puppy mills, then they can stop them.'

The legislation would protect animals' health, comfort and well being while they are with dealers and sellers, and prevent 'these businesses from obtaining dogs from puppy mills or disreputable breeders,' Maisano said in a statement. Legislators Gordon Burrows, R-Yonkers, and Peter Harckham, D-Somers, are also sponsoring the legislation.

Dealers and sellers would have to keep records that prove where their animals came from, and there would be standards for what they are fed and their living conditions, such as how much space they need and how often it needs to be cleaned. They would have to be examined by a veterinarian within five days of arriving at a dealer or seller facility. The annual permit fee would be $200 for businesses that sell 25 or more animals a year, and $100 for fewer than 25.

The ASPCA is most supportive of the Albany law and Westchester proposal, which set a higher standard for source breeders and wholesalers, said Bill Ketzer, senior state director of ASPCA government relations for the Northeast.

A 2000 state law that created the state licensing and inspection program for pet dealers prohibited municipal oversight of pet stores and home-based breeders. The state Agriculture and Markets Department had few inspectors and in the past five years levied penalties only in about 50 of 800 failed pet dealer inspections, Ketzer said. 'Local governments were kind of growing increasingly frustrated with their inability to protect themselves locally.'

The previous law didn't cover wholesale pet sales from large-scale breeding facilities, also known as puppy mills, which is as important if not moreso than regulating local pet stores, Ketzer said.

Steve Reid, owner of S.R. Dog Training in Somers, said dogs from puppy mills may have trouble with house-training because they were kept in a small space and went to the bathroom where they were. Reputable breeders breed for good temperment, good hips and other qualities, he said.

'If anybody's just simply looking to turn a profit, they reduce their quality standards,' he said, adding that conditions in puppy mills are 'cruel and horrific.'

A millionaire Russian student is putting her crystal-encrusted Mercedes up for sale to raise money for Manchester Dogs' Home

Daria Radionova with her car

A millionaire Russian student is putting her crystal-encrusted Mercedes up for sale to raise money for Manchester Dogs' Home.

Daria Radionova plans to put her silver Mercedes under the hammer to help the arson-hit home, which was destroyed by fire earlier this month.

The 21-year-old covered her £50,000 car in £20,000 of Swarovksi gems because she wanted to do something 'unique and special'.

The business and management student enjoys a lavish lifestyle in an apartment outside Harrods in London and regularly posts pictures of her pricey purchases on Instagram.

Daria Radionova strike a pose

'I want to raise money for the homeless animal shelter in the UK that was burned a few weeks ago, the one in Manchester,' she told The Tab.

'I cannot stay away from that situation.

'I'm planning to give money also to a charity in Moldova, where my family is now.'

A member of staff from the Manchester Dogs' Home said: 'It sounds tacky to me, but money's money.'

Daria Radionova with her car

The fire at Manchester Dogs' Home killed more than 60 animals and left 150 homeless.

Since the tragedy, more than £1million has been raised through donations thanks to a JustGiving page set up by the M.E.N.

Earlier this month, the M.E.N. also revealed that dog-loving Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli may have been behind a five-figure donation to the charity after volunteering to walk the dogs while he was at Manchester City.

Following a report earlier today that Apple and French fashion retailer Colette were teasing a one day in-store experience, there's now more evidence the collaboration might be for Apple's upcoming Apple Watch. It appears that Apple's design team could also be headed to the event or at least to the same city, lending more weight to the idea that Apple Watch is about to get some stage time during Paris Fashion Week.

The images above and below were posted to Instagram by designer Mikael Silvanto, an Industrial Designer at Apple that's been with the company since 2011. Not only is Silvanto on his way to Paris Fashion Week for work, he also appears to be with Jony Ive, Marc Newson and others from Apple's design team. We're guessing Apple's design team that worked on Apple Watch wouldn't be heading to the event if there wasn't something big planned. Whether or not that goes beyond the collaboration with Colette, we'll have to wait and see.

The invitation design and fashion connection from Colette earlier today lead to speculation that the event might be focused on Apple's yet to be released watch product. The event is scheduled to take place on September 30.

On Wednesday, as the light faded over the Seine and the Eiffel Tower began its evening twinkle and those in the audience who had other, more personal places to be for Rosh Hashana began to shift in their seats, the creative director Alexander Wang sent out his fourth show for the brand.

And while it was an accident of timing, and admittedly the promise of fresh slates may be in the air, shimmering like a lens that casts a different light on all you see (or maybe that's just me), it is also true that at that moment Mr. Wang finally truly took charge. The idea of a new start was given specific form.

The clothes were part of it, but in some ways, they were the least surprising part: narrow stretch pencil skirts with diamonds on each hip (apparently meant to evoke the 'tiled cabochon floor at the historic Cristóbal Balenciaga salon,' though frankly the connection doesn't much matter), and even narrower halter tops of tightly ruched tulle.

There were floor-sweeping dusters and trenches, and wide-mesh skinny T-shirt dresses made from strings of sequins that became crystal-covered net shrugs worn with corset tops over tuxedo biker shorts (don't ask) or high-waisted narrow trousers, which became the top of a dress ruched up the sides and paneled in front and back. And it was all sleek and active, in a Richard Meier-meets-Matrix-for-a-spin-class kind of way.

But combined with a new show time (cocktails, not coffee) and a new, much larger venue - the courtyard between the Musée d'Art Moderne and the Palais de Tokyo - plus a floor made of glass octagons filled with shifting smoke, the whole thing conveyed an extreme self-confidence that was infectious. And, those pointlessly drawn references aside, no longer intimidated by its heritage.

Like the collection or not - and while the dusters and those ruched dresses were very good, mesh (even of the micro-beaded kind) and tuxedo biker shorts will be a leap for anyone outside of twentysomething It people - the vision belonged to Mr. Wang. Balenciaga has become what he makes of it.

That may sound like no big deal; in fact, it may sound like his job (which it is). But as became increasingly clear during the early shows in Paris, when it comes to fashion, having the courage of your convictions is harder than it might first appear. Not just for those who wear it, but for those who design it.

This is not surprising at a brand like Ann Demeulemeester, whose namesake founder left last November, and which is now designed by Sebastien Meunier, her longtime colleague. In such a situation, the first commandment is often consistency, and so it seemed, judging by the flowing layers of white shirting and black waistcoats, the cropped denim and silk jackets. Still, while there were a few too many strings attached to the garments, literally and figuratively, the mix of prints and occasional pastel suggested the possibility of a less fettered future.

But you would expect Roland Mouret, author of his own destiny, to have attained a clarity that was regrettably absent from his runway. Mr. Mouret is a dab hand at the strictly sensual sheath or cocktail dress, and able to infuse a bright green A-line skirt and white jacket with a surprising chic, yet it seems he can't help mistrusting his own skill.

So he sticks on a flap here, a fold there, until the result resembles nothing so much as the outfit of an overwrought art gallerist, the collage from the wall having migrated to the body. He should have more faith in the power of his simplest lines.

And you would hope that Alessandro Dell'Acqua, in his second season at Rochas, could offer up something more coherent than a host of disparate notes that never quite combined into a single perfume.

Button-down shirts with an embroidered 'R' on one side, midcalf governess dresses and grandma nightie gowns, often in sheer georgette and embroidered with delicate hummingbirds or layered lace over lace, suggested a perverse dip into the history box. But then came webbed belts with 'R' buckles inexplicably worn over the chest, sometimes sprouting kimono-like trains in the back that were so puzzling it was better to blink and miss them; sheer polo shirts with macramé-detailed pencil skirts; and ... gold sequins.

It's not that each element was an issue on its own, but that each element was left on its own; the end result wasn't fully kitschy and it wasn't fully subversive and it wasn't really romantic. Which meant it wasn't really anything at all.

At least at Paco Rabanne, the designer Julien Dossena, now in his third season (and supported this time around by his former boss, Nicolas Ghesquière, attending only his third show as an audience member ever) has taken the tropes of the house - chain mail, futurism - and remixed them with his personal references, from 1980s stirrup pants to fencing jackets and Lycra, for completely consistent effect. Whether or not a maillot top/Grecian skirt combo is your cup of sartorial tea, this is testament to the fact it can exist on its own terms.

Unlike the work of Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, who seemed to have taken a wrong turn on the way to the atelier this season and ended up in Caesar's Palace. Bra-topped beaded jump suits mixed with power jackets in garish black and white or black and yellow; palazzo pants alternated with strips of sheer, and were matched with a peekaboo checkerboard top; and clown stripes came crystal-covered.

It was a wardrobe fit for a late 1980s power player who went to Vegas for a career change and ended up working as a lounge singer/escort. You know something is wrong when a white T-shirt causes sighs of relief. Playing with the kitsch appeal of the questionable taste of yore is fair enough, especially for those who did not live through it the first time, but at least make it look good. Otherwise what are you left with?

Old ideas, and over-it associations. Better, really, to just cast them off.

SIT FOR A SPELL AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH HARRY, RON AND HERMIONE DURING ABC FAMILY'S 'HARRY POTTER WEEK,' STARTING MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th A Week's Worth of Harry Potter Blockbuster Movies Culminates in a Funday Dedicated to the Boy Wizard and His Friends on Saturday, October 18th Burbank, CA (September 29, 2014) - If you've always wanted to go to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry but was never admitted because you're a Muggle, ABC Family has the next best thing. The network invites its viewers to revisit the magical series with a whole week dedicated to One and his adventures. So find your wand and , invite your mates over for some Butterbeer, and watch the battle between good and evil unfold when Harry casts his magic, starting Monday, October 13 and concluding with Funday on Saturday, October 18. th

Harry Potter's magic also extends to social media! F ans can visit fundayapp.com to Potterfy their profile photos with art inspired by their favorite wizards . The app also allows viewers to upload photos & videos showing their fan love for the chance to see themselves featured on-air! But the fun doesn't end there - Potterheads can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win Harry Potter pajamas, Hogwarts leggings and a collectible wand!

Open only to persons, who are, as of Entry, 13 years of age or older, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 U.S. or D.C. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received between 12:01:00 AM, 10/18/2014 (PT) and 11:59:59 PM., 10/18/14 (PT). Click here for Official Rules and entry details.

(7:30PM-12AM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

Based on J.K. Rowling's popular novels about the boy who lived, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' introduces fans to Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), who learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own. Invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. At Hogwarts, he finds the home and the family he has never had. 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' repeats on Tuesday, October 14th at 3:30pm ET/PT.

(7PM-11PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS

After a long summer with the horrid Dursleys, Harry Potter is thwarted in his attempts to board the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. Harry's only transportation option is a magical flying car, but unfortunately it crashes into a valuable (and clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what awaits Harry that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts. Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at the school. The mysteriously gleaming foot-high words on the wall proclaim: 'The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.' But what exactly does it all mean? Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) risk their own lives to solve this 50-year-old, potentially deadly mystery . 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' repeats on Wednesday, October 15th at 4pm ET/PT.

(8PM - 11PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

Harry, Ron and Hermione return for a third term at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But Harry's fate looks bleak when the Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), who was convicted of killing 13 people with a single curse, escapes from prison. The only clue to where Sirius is headed: The Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep 'He's at Hogwarts ... He's at Hogwarts.' Even within the walls of his magical school, Harry may not be safe from a convicted killer. 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' repeats on Thursday, October 16th at 5pm ET/PT.

(8PM - 11PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX A summer has passed since Harry's encounter with the Dark Lord (Ralph Fiennes), and Harry returns to learn that the wizarding community remains in denial about Voldemort's return. The minister of magic believes that Headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is lying and assigns a member of his staff, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When her Ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to protect themselves against the dark forces threatening them, Hermione and Ron urge Harry to take charge. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves 'Dumbledore's Army,' Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts and prepares the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead. 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' repeats on Friday, October 17th at 4:30pm ET/PT.

(7:30PM - 11PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year and faces a growing danger that may be more than a match for his strengthening powers as a wizard. While Death Eaters emboldened by the return of Lord Voldemort wreak havoc in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds, Harry suspects new dangers lie within Hogwarts. Dumbledore, racing to prepare Harry for a battle that he knows is fast approaching, brings him on a perilous mission to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses. Meanwhile, the students face a different adversary as teenage hormones rage: Harry's friendship with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) grows into something deeper; Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) lavishes her affections on Ron while Hermione simmers with jealousy; and a box of love potion-laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands. 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince' repeats on Saturday, October 18th at 12pm ET/PT.

(3:30 PM - 7PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1

In the first part of the seventh and final adventure, Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort's immortality and destruction -- the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort's Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them. But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort...alive. Harry's only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale -- the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became 'the Boy Who Lived.' No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

(7PM - 10PM ET/PT) HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2

The motion picture event of the generation comes to a close in the second part of the final chapter in the monumental Harry Potter series. The boy wizard's adventure concludes with the climactic final battle between 'The Boy Who Lived' and Lord Voldemort. Making their final stand upon the ramparts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry, Ron and Hermione face their greatest foe and make the ultimate sacrifice.

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships - told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. For 2014, ABC Family has launched the 'WATCH ABC Family' authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular series at home and on the go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with '13 Nights of Halloween' and '25 Days of Christmas.' ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

Minggu, 28 September 2014

PARIS - Isabel Marant, whose name has become shorthand for a certain brand of messy-haired Parisienne chic, took inspiration for her new collection, she said, from the tribes of Africa.

It doesn't do to delve too deeply into anthropology here. The influence was loose rather than literal: a handful of shells here, some raffia there, a flat sandal with every outfit. The Marant look remains the Marant look: short-skirted below, slouchy-sweatered on top, unfussily and imperfectly bohemian. If there's a tribe to be glimpsed on Ms. Marant's runways, it is her own, mirrored in the stands and in the streets by the women who have made a cult of her clothes.

Their adoration may have hemmed her in. The collection included pieces sure to please her fans (those fringed tunics and tops, for instance) but didn't dispel a niggling sense that she has become the prisoner of her success and in danger of growing formulaic - or worse, stale.

Yet consistency has its clear advantages, and it isn't only Ms. Marant who has created herself a tribe. Much of fashion - whether its designers are pondering it or not - divides along tribal lines.

Few but the most committed chameleons carom between styles and labels with complete abandon. Affinities assert themselves, no less among the professionals than the general public. For every Anna Dello Russo, the Italian editor and street-style fixture whose generosity (or rapacity) of fashion spirit can require several outfit changes a day, there are many more who may sample widely but rarely stray far. They are the acolytes of Alaïa or Prada, the Céline loyalists, the faithful vestals of Comme des Garçons. The rest of the world, too, tends to find what works and return to it.

As such, it behooves a line to consider its core strengths, core customers and core values as Ms. Marant has done, all the squishy intangibles that fall under the catch-all of DNA. Thus, the tricky balancing act: Evolution is crucial but forget where you've come from at your peril.

For Acne Studios, the founding value is youth. Acne grew out of denim, expanding into inexpensive, casual clothes for the street, then further onto the Paris runway. But its own history is probably its most reliable guide. Jeans are a testament to the power and durable cool of simplicity, and the label is at its best when it isn't burdened by undue complication.

There were great pieces in this vein, like a leather barn jacket that cinched at the waist, but more often concept weighed heavy on this collection.

Jonny Johansson said he had been thinking of the way in which young people absorb and repurpose luxury, so power suits became plunging tops or A-line dresses, gold watchbands were worn as bracelets.

The overall effect was less celebrating youth than aping age. At least the terry-cloth dresses wrapped like bath towels, silly as they were, made the mature suggestion that leisure is as good a measure of luxury as gold.

For Maiyet, the core value is change. Kristy Caylor builds the collection from the components up, seeking out or commissioning artisanal fabrics and handwork from the developing world: Jaipur and Varanasi in India, the Andean highlands of Peru. The hitch is, the clothes are not always as interesting as their backstories.

And at Kenzo, the values came printed on a card on every seat ('Purity,' 'Volume,' 'Lightness,' 'Energy' and 'Wind' among them), but who is the tribe?

To judge by the staging, at a massive concrete skate park where video screens displayed mountain ranges, the enormous face of a digital 'avatar' and a voice on the loudspeakers intoned threateningly, 'There is no Planet B,' they are the inhabitants of some not entirely rosy vision of the future. According to a company spokeswoman, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have completed a three-year audit of their suppliers to ensure sustainable production and the brand now is 'exploring how to deepen its commitment' by adding suppliers who provide more eco-friendly raw materials.

The staging, as ever, was impressive but the proportions of enormous, melted-looking pants and tent like tops were challenging. Mr. Leon and Ms. Lim's magic with stagecraft and taste for innovation is such that their shows are never less than events. Yet they tend to leave their collections and their point of view hazily defined. For all the pleasant pieces sprinkled throughout - fit-and-flare trumpet skirts and dresses, tiered blouses ruffling over pretty lace skirts - it never became terribly clear whom the clothes were designed to serve.

After news about the show threatened to be cancelled, fans of the hit fantasy supernatural drama series 'Resurrection' can now heave a sigh of relief as it is now ready to return for its second season with premiere episode entitled 'Revelation.' Scheduled to air this coming Sunday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. on ABC.

'Bellamy awakens alone and abandoned at Arcadia's outskirts, missing a week of his life. As his memory returns, he has a shocking revelation. Meanwhile, Arcadia welcomes one more returned, Margaret Langston (guest star Michelle Fairley), the powerful matriarch of the Langston family, dead for over three decades,' the synopsis reads.

As stated above, Fairley's matriarch character will bring shock to the Langstons, Fred (Matt Craven) and Henry (Kurtwood Smith), when she returns after being dead for over 30 years already. On top of that, she now appears younger than they are.

While Fred is ever eager to 'round up' those who have returned, his mom's comeback might change his stance.

Other speculations that circulated based on the sneak peeks and spoilers suggest that Mrs. Langston might be bearing some secrets that she would reveal to the family. Both Fred and Henry are also bound to do some explaining regarding the shutdown of their business.

Aside from the Returned, IBTimes cited new characters to appear in the show. Among the already confirmed is actress Donna Murphy who will play a still unnamed agent. Described as 'the elegant woman,' she will take charge in finding out if Marty Bellamy (Omar Epps) could also be resurrected.

The premiere can be watched online through live stream by clicking here.

Primetime TV drama series 'Revenge' is now ready to take off for its fourth season with its premiere episode entitled 'Renaissance' which will air this coming Sunday, Sept. 28 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

'As Emily plans to host her most surprising party ever, Victoria finds a way to turn her greatest setback into a dangerous advantage. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them both, David Clarke plans his next move,' the synopsis reads.

And while it's barely days before the season primer kicks in, Revengers are speculating that this will be the show's final and closing chapter as it is now getting back to its roots - 'getting revenge.'

In a report by The Wire, they emphasized 'a return to form' that is to be expected in the fourth season.They pointed out two of the show's main characters Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) and Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe), both of which are now slowly becoming alike.

First there's Emily, returning to the Hamptons with a fake identity, with a heart bound in avenging her father's death and to prove his innocence. Meanwhile, as the spoilers and teasers suggest, we will now see Victoria getting into her hands the justice for the death of her husband while her children are left in a distraught state.

As one of the latest trailers revealed, Victoria is now bound in having her revenge to the woman who destroyed her and her family's life.

'Emily Thorne, I'm coming for you,' was the ending voiceover.

The premiere can be watched online through live stream by clicking here.

PARIS - The curtain came down, literally, on Jean Paul Gaultier 's ready-to-wear career amid a shower of gold spangles raining from the sky. It was such a major fashion moment, it overshadowed even George Clooney's wedding.

A gaggle of models whose ages ranged from the usual twentysomethings to the recently famous (Coco Rocha, Karlie Kloss) and the famous of long ago (French television stars in their 70s and 80s) shook their stuff on the stage of the Rex Theater, Paris's largest and most storied cinema house, strutting through a brief tour of Mr. Gaultier's greatest sartorial hits from marinière stripes to pinstripe suiting, cone-bra corset dresses, crystalline Americana and gender-bending Smokings, cast as a Miss Gaultier competition and 'hosted' by the actress and Gaultier acolyte Rossy de Palma and the Paris-based Brit Alex Taylor.

There were boys riding bicycles and spoofs of famed fashion editors who had supported Mr. Gaultier in his career, and it had the designer's longtime celebrity friends and collaborators Catherine Deneuve, Boy George and Farida Khelfa laughing and cheering in their velvet seats, alongside the designers Alber Elbaz, Rick Owens, Alexander Wang and Jeremy Scott.

It was a happy end to one part of a long story (Mr. Gaultier will continue with his couture line). How many of us get to stage manage our own semi-exits?

'I don't think I registered even one look,' said an attendee on the way out, so distracting was the spectacle. No matter: The garments were the least of it, though they will be sold, and as Mr. Gaultier's final ready-to-wear, may end up as quasi-collectors items, especially the white tie/black tie amalgams and the 'Loco Logo' Tour de France-inspired jumpsuits, if not the Mexican superhero costumes.

But the message was about how you could transform a nominally sad occasion - retirement, at least from the most visible part of fashion - into one marked by joy. A reminder, if any were needed, that this kind of transubstantiation is what fashion does. Or should do, anyway, when it is doing its job.

It takes the difficulties and confusion and complication of the world around it and remakes them into something manageable. Occasionally beautiful. Ideally (though not always), thought-provoking.

Strange as it may sound, sometimes whether or not you can actually wear it, or would want to, is besides the point.

And while the attempted alchemy can be knee-jerk obvious - Vivienne Westwood titled her show 'End Ecocide,' and filled it with floral brocades and Queen of the May references in her trademark insouciant historical shapes- or merely facile (the housewifery commentary at Maison Martin Margiela courtesy of stocking tops and side-tied, leg-exposing, tablecloth apron wrap skirts), when it works it hits a chord deep inside, and reverberates outward.

So backstage after Céline, the designer Phoebe Philo said, 'I was interested in how edited the world is, and how edited fashion is, and I am, and what would happen if we were less edited? We have this obsession with certainty and the need to know the outcome of everything. But what if we try to just let it be?'

Her answer: High-water flares ironed on a knife edge; knit tank dresses, the skirts kicking out in three tiers of fringing; neat navy coats secured by three gold locks in place of buttons down the front; and 1970s floral bias-cut dresses sliced high on one side to reveal trousers in a contrasting print.

Aside from some odd circular cut-outs on the sides of sleeveless tunics, and horizontal strips of silk set into tops and left to flap from the sides, the show made a convincing case for the virtues of relaxing into a process, as opposed to only focusing on a goal.

And after her show of swirling, structured volumes and red leather, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons said she had been thinking of 'blood and roses, but not a pretty rose. Everyone feels so heavy about things these days, I wanted to do roses in a more profound way.'

Crimson strips of leather dripped from trench coats, whorls of frills in satin and silk formed two curving spheres on the torso and legs, a jacket of tubular swirls was stippled by splatter and hoop skirts were basket-woven from chiffon. For refuge from it all there were enormously hooded capes, and the net result wasn't Carrie at the prom, but rather the flower at the end of a gun. In gore, Ms. Kawakubo had found grace.

As it happened, ruffles also played a major part in Haider Ackermann's collection, though it was a bittersweet symphony of a different kind, from the dove gray chiffon dusters, insubstantial as an English fog, to the slouchy silk trouser suits in ballet-shoe pink and washed-out army green halter tops belted into shape with their edges curving sinuously up and around, often offset by the addition of white vinyl pants or ultra-mini skorts. And they showed up again in various forms in Jun Takahashi's Undercover show, a tour de force of Swan Lake storytelling in 51 looks.

It began with sugar-sweet crinoline New Look dresses that segued into tutus, milkmaids in tree-trunk striated moiré skirts and forest green and white tops, and principessas in neat little frocks with sporting scenes from Hieronymus Bosch's 'The Garden of Earthly Delights,' then to biker jackets atop full tulle skirts with prints of many feathers, and ended with an all-black ebony-winged motorcycle gang.

Oh, and thrown in the middle there was a group of candy-colored trenches and anoraks and other sorts of protective outerwear with cameo inserts of moving video screens on the chest or sleeves, because, well ... life is a video? Whatever the answer, it was eye-popping.

Also relevant: Who can really dispute the fact that in the never-ending battle between Odile and Odette, the black swan is currently winning?

Meanwhile, Yohji Yamamoto had sex on the mind (well, it is the eternal subject) and negligee dresses on the runway, layered one atop the other and sliding off the body, not to mention filigree knits (good) and gold leather (discordant). And in a collection based almost entirely on geometry, Junya Watanabe took up Kandinsky's color theory, which paired form and the emotional associations of color, and tested it on clothes. Or at least their simalcrums.

Circles were flattened, plasticized, layered and Crayola-bright; cut up and reconfigured into a shift made of three-dimensional diamonds; combined with linear stripes and T-shirts printed à la jean jacket; and reformatted into triangles and hexagons and parallelograms, one form fracturing into the other in a kaleidoscope of shifting shapes.

Was the circle really blue, the square red, the triangle yellow? It depended, as most things in life, on how you looked at it. But boy, was it fun to see.

Of all the fashion weeks around the world, it's pretty safe to say that Paris Fashion Week is the crème de la crème.

Not only do all the major designers -- like Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Rousteing and Alber Elbaz -- show in the City of Light but the street style is to die for. People pull out all the stops. Between the couture-like proportions, Chanel bags and monochromatic outfits, there is enough fashion inspiration to last until spring.

Check out the most drool-worthy street style images below and tell us you aren't planning your next trip to Paris.

It doesn't get much better than Paris Fashion Week, ladies and gentlemen.

This is the high-end fashion we love to drool over admire -- Dior, Balmain, Dries Van Noten... the list goes on. The models are on top of their runway game, fashion editors are killing the street style and the front row seaters are mostly Kim and Kanye.

As such, we're totally copping to stalking photos of all things PFW on Twitter and we can't get enough. Dior had fun house mirrors outside the Louvre and Julien David debuted his Spring collection with a dance video of ballerinas. Add a macaron and it doesn't get more Parisian than that.

There's a reason the best is saved for last. Scroll down to see the coolest tweets of the week.

Party Pics:@karliekloss, @RosieHW and more kick off the weekend early at #PFW's top parties! http://t.co/wY7eGOu7BR http://ift.tt/1rs50fz

Of all the fashion weeks around the world, it's pretty safe to say that Paris Fashion Week is the crème de la crème.

Not only do all the major designers -- like Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Rousteing and Alber Elbaz -- show in the City of Light but the street style is to die for. People pull out all the stops. Between the couture-like proportions, Chanel bags and monochromatic outfits, there is enough fashion inspiration to last until spring.

Check out the most drool-worthy street style images below and tell us you aren't planning your next trip to Paris.

Herald SunSpring fashion: Bright florals, layers and white shirts will take overHerald Sun“Spring weather is so unpredictable, and often we are sick of our jeans and trousers, and want to wear shorts or skirts or even cropped pants; the important thing to remember is balance, and layering shirts under jumpers or cardigans to balance the ...

Sabtu, 27 September 2014

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West--though impeccably dressed--have had a rough couple days at Paris Fashion Week, and last night just made it even worse.

The couple ended up being a few minutes late to the Lanvin show, and when they went to make their way to their front row seats, the crowd wasn't too pleased by their tardiness.

Several fellow attendees began booing them from across the runway, which didn't settle too well with Kanye who immediately confronted the annoyed guests.

'

Alber [ Elbaz] asked to see us! Don't boo us!' The rapper yelled walking right up to the booing fashion goers. 'We're not late. We're not late.'

( Watch the full moment in the video above.)

Of course this wasn't the couples first bump in the road this week.

kim kardashian tackled outside of balmain show

Just yesterday afternoon Kim was attacked outside of the Balmain show by the red carpet prankster Vitalii Sediuk. A video showed the brunette getting out of her chauffeured car amidst a sea of photographers when all of a sudden Sediuk ran toward her, grabbing her legs and almost taking her to the ground.

Fortunately, Kim's security guards protected her from falling before Kanye came rushing to her side, and they were all able to watch Kendall Jenner (and her dominatrix style) strut her stuff down the runway.

Sediuk promises he was in no way trying to harm the reality star, saying, ''The prank with Kim was my protest that US banned me from entering the country,' Sediuk said in a statement to E! News. 'I hope Kim is ok and won't be mad at me as I didn't mean any harm. Kanye is one lucky man as Kim is a Goddess!'

Chelsea Clinton has given birth to a baby girl, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.

A Clinton spokesperson confirmed to ABC News that she was born Friday night.

Marc and I are full of love, awe and gratitude as we celebrate the birth of our daughter, Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.

- Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) September 27, 2014

Her parents, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, said Saturday in a statement that they are 'blessed, grateful, and so happy to be the grandparents of a beautiful girl.'

'We are thrilled to be with our daughter and her husband as they welcome their daughter into the world,' the statement continued. 'Chelsea is well and glowing. Marc is bursting with pride. Charlotte's life is off to a good start.'

Chelsea Clinton Fears Her Baby Could Live on a 'Planet Without Elephants'

The former first daughter announced that she was pregnant in mid-April.

President Obama even got in on the due-date jockeying, joking while at the Clinton family's foundation event in New York that she might have to commandeer his motorcade.

'I was just discussing with President Clinton that if Chelsea begins delivery while I'm speaking, she has my motorcade and will be able to navigate traffic,' Obama said with a smirk.

The former first daughter didn't let her impending due date slow her down as she appeared at an event for her family's foundation this past week.

Clinton, 34, and her husband Marc Mezvinsky reportedly chose not to learn the sex of their baby before the birth.

She resigned from her role at NBC News on Aug. 29. Clinton and her husband 'look forward to welcoming our first child,' she wrote in a note she shared on social media at the time.

Her parents have regularly mentioned their joy at earning a new title -- grandparents. The former president spoke of his high hopes for the newest member of the family while speaking with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos at the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting.

'I want them to get up every day and look at the world with wonder and reverence. I want them to respect everyone they meet, whatever their background. I want them to be aware of all the people that make their world and not just the people that they are introduced to,' Clinton said.

'I want them to really love being alive. It's my first and whatever other grandchildren I have -- that's what I want. And when they grow up, I want them to believe they have certain obligations to people who don't have all the opportunities they'll have and to the larger society,' he said.

Walking home after collecting money from a local charity office in her Damascus neighborhood, Hajar, 35, is fatigued. She carries a food aid basket and the medicine she collected there for her elderly husband.

Like other young women in Syria who have no family and no employment prospects, Hajar decided she would find a man who would provide security. That man is the 70-year-old father of a neighbor, who requires round-the-clock care from his younger wife.

Originally from Damascus, Hajar, whose education goes only as far as a high school literature degree, lost her entire family when their home in Jobar was shelled by the government. She found herself living with neighbors for two months.

'I lost my mother, my father and my three siblings all on one day,' she says, crying. 'My married sister is the only one I have left but she's married to a man who is [angry] and stingy.

'She lives with her in-laws in a small house they all fled to. Her husband has no work and they could barely put up with each other, so how would they fare putting up with [me]?'

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Powerful Photo of a Young Syrian Refugee

With the neighbors' financial situation worsening, they spoke of kicking Hajar out of the house - the burden of supporting one more person became too much.

One day one of the other women in Jobar visited her, seeking a wife for her 70-year-old father. The woman would be responsible for taking care of the man, a widow; in turn, he would provide for her.

'I have no income, no family, no home, no work, no brother to lean on,' Hajar says. 'I had to agree to whoever wished to marry me. To me, things couldn't get worse than the life I was living.'

Nour, 28, is a civil engineer from Damascus. She says she had always dreamed of meeting an ambitious, educated and cultured man with whom she could lead a stable and financially comfortable life.

But as the conflict entered its third year, she started thinking of her future and how the number of potential suitors was dwindling. So when an illiterate 35-year-old named Malek asked for her hand in marriage, she accepted.

'There is a large education disparity between us,' she says. 'All we do is exchange 'good morning' and 'good evening,' or we talk about the war and whose house was shelled and who died. We never talk about anything cultural or anything that has any real essence.'

Thinking it her best chance for financial security, Leila, 23, married young - then watched her husband's income dry up after he was injured by shelling and had his foot amputated.

'In the end, we must adapt to life,' she says. 'I work as a school teacher in an educational institute to provide for us.'

But Leila's mother says her daughter is still too young to feel her desires and needs are unfulfilled by her husband.

'They now live on what her in-laws give them and what she makes,' her mother says. 'But is this sustainable?'